Prevent the Top Childhood Tragedies

Thanks to increased awareness and vigilance across the United States, the rate of fatal childhood injuries has been falling. Still, unintentional injuries kill about 10,000 U.S. children ages 18 and younger each year. St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital recommends the following tips to help prevent the five leading causes of those deaths.

1. Car Accidents

   Motor vehicle injuries are the top cause of death among U.S. children. Keep young children safe by using:
   • Rear-facing child safety seats as long as possible, and use up to the maximum recommended height or weight limit for that particular seat. At a minimum, keep babies rear-facing until age 1 and at least 20 pounds. Never put a rear-facing child safety seat in the path of an airbag.
   • Forward-facing seats in the backseat for children at least age 1 and 20 pounds to about age 4 and 40 pounds
   • Belt positioning booster in the backseat from about age 4 to at least age 8
   • Safety belts when the child is age 8 and older or taller than 4 feet 9 inches

   “Children ages 12 and younger should not ride in a front seat where air bags could open,” said Tamyne Maxson, Car Seat Safety Expert at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

   Among teens, motor vehicle crashes cause one in three deaths. The risks are highest for boys, teens driving with teen passengers and newly licensed drivers. Alcohol, speeding and failure to use seat belts often play a part.

   Supervision can help keep teens safe on the road. Many states issue learner’s permits so teens practice driving under adult supervision. States — or parents — may also limit nighttime driving and the number of passengers teens can carry.

2. Drowning

   Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related deaths among children ages 1 to 4. In Florida, drowning rates for children younger than age 5 are more than double the national average and are higher than any other state in the nation.

   “These incidents are not only preventable, but predictable,” said St. Joseph’s Children’s Advocate Bevin Maynard.

   Children drown quickly and silently — in as little as 1 inch of water and in a matter of seconds. “Usually, the adults who were present when a child drowned were distracted in some way; talking on the phone, chatting with other adults around the pool or reading,” said Maynard.

   Be vigilant. Install barriers around home pools and empty kiddie pools immediately after use. Have young children and inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard– approved life jackets around water.

3. Suffocation

   Infant deaths from accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed have quadrupled since 1984. Put babies to sleep on their backs in a safety-approved crib with a firm mattress and fitted sheet, away from window blinds and draperies with cords.

   Never put babies to sleep on a chair, sofa, or water bed, or with bedding soft enough to cover the face. It’s safest for babies to sleep in their parents’ room but not in their bed.

   Keep plastic bags out of reach. They can form a tight seal over a child’s mouth and nose, potentially causing suffocation.

4. Burns

   Fires and burns are the second most common cause of death for children younger than 10.

   Install smoke alarms on every floor and check batteries monthly. Supervise carefully when children are near any flame, including birthday candles and fireplaces. Set water heater temperature to 120 degrees or lower to prevent scalding. Buy only fire-retardant sleepwear for children.

5. Poisoning

   More than 90 percent of children’s exposure to poison occurs at home. Always keep medications and toxic products in locked or childproof cabinets. Ask grandparents and others whom your children visit to secure potential poisons as well.

   Even common household items such as cleaning products, pesticides and adhesives may prove to be poisonous to children. Keep the national poison control center phone number, (800) 222-1222, on home and cell phones.

Tips to “Childproof” Your Home

Childproofing your home means making it safe for small children. Here are some steps you can take:

• Keep medicine, perfume, hair and skin products, and cleaning supplies in a locked cabinet or a high, out-of-reach place.
• Use plug covers in all unused electrical outlets.
• Make sure that open windows have screens or guards that a child cannot push out.
• When you raise the window blinds, wrap the cords around wall hooks. Or tie them up high, out of children’s reach.
• Keep hot foods away from the edge of the stove and table.
• If you have a gun in your home, keep it unloaded and locked out of sight. Lock bullets in a different place.

To learn more

By the Numbers

The top five causes of death from unintentional injuries, birth through age 18, 2002–2006:

Transportation (including motor vehicle crashes)	62.8%
Drowning	10.1%
Suffocation	9.9%
Fires and burns	5.3%
Poisoning	4.5%

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention